James Cameron’s next film Avatar film series, Avatar: Fire and Ash, would have a running time of over 3 hours according to Cineplex and AMC listings. The film, scheduled for release on December 19, 2025, is the third installment of the franchise, which takes place after the events of the previous one. Avatar movie, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña reprise their roles as Jake and Neytiri, alongside Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), Britain Dalton (Lo’ak) and Jack Champion (Spider). The film will also feature fan favorites such as Stephen Lang (Quaritch) and Kate Winslet (Ronal).
New cast members who will appear in the upcoming film are Oona Chaplin as Varang, the leader of the fiery Na’vi clan of the “Ash People”, and David Thewlis as Peylak, leader of the peaceful Wind Traders.
that of James Cameron Avatar: Fire and Ash being the longest film in the franchise
Directed by veteran filmmaker James Cameron, cinema’s latest Avatar the franchise would have a running time of 3 hours and 15 minutes. The film series, which began in 2009, has become one of the highest-grossing film franchises in the world, grossing $5.2 million at the box office.
After the debut of the first film, the franchise appeared in several other media such as video games, novels, live shows, exhibitions, and theme park attractions among other segments. Made on a budget of $250 million, the next Avatar: Fire and Ash will feature a Na’vi villain for the first time in the franchise’s history, which is a departure from previous films having human antagonists.
The villain, Varang, will be played by HBO Game of Thrones star Oona Chaplin. Cameron stated that this new antagonist went through several trials and consequently became ruthless in order to protect his people from any threats. In an interview with Empire magazine published on January 16, 2025, the Avatar: Fire and Ash the director said:
“Varang is the leader of a people who have been through incredible hardships. She is hardened by that. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider bad. One thing we wanted to do in this film is not to be simplistic in black and white. Or simplistic in blue and pink. … We are trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm.”
Director Cameron previously stated that Avatar: Fire and Ash would have a longer running time than the previous film. However, he did not share the exact moment during his interview with Empire magazine. Although he shared his wife’s reaction to watching the upcoming film, stating:
“My wife watched everything from start to finish, she stayed away from it and I didn’t show her the pieces as it happened. It was December 22. She bawled for four hours.”
He further added:
“She kept trying to get her s#$% together so she could tell me specific reactions, and then she would cry and start crying again. Finally, I was like, ‘Honey, I have to go to bed. Sorry, we’ll talk about this another time.'”
Stay tuned for more updates on Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Edited by Suchita Patnaha
